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BEING AN ANTICIPATED VALEDICTORY 
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THOMAS PAINE 


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INTRODUCTION. 



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INTRODUCTION. 


Reasons for Publishing; Thomas Paine's 
Recantation. 


[Mr. Aylett Raines, the father of Mrs. ‘W. S. Giltner, 
spent the last fifteen years of his life with his son-in law at 
Eminence College.] 

Mr. Raines had frequently spoken of the 
pernicious influence that the perusal of Tom 
Paine’s Age of Reason” had exercised 
upon his mind when a mere youth of 
eighteen years; and also of the deleterious 
effect upon his morals. 

On Apr. 12, 1878, Mr. Raines read in the 
Apostolic Times of that date, Paine’s re¬ 
cantation of his “Age of Reason.” It was 
furnished for publication by Z. F. Smith, of 
Eminence, Ky., taken from a volume con¬ 
sisting mainly of Paine’s writings, belong¬ 
ing to Prof. B. F. Turner, then of Emi- 




6 


THE HECANTATION OF 


nence, Ky., but uow president of Fairmount 
College, Sulphur, Ky , a copy of which was 
also furnished to the daily Courier-Journal 
of Louisville. Mr. Raines, after reading, 
made the following note in his diary: 

The Times brings out this week a Re¬ 
cantation of Thomas Paine. It was found 
in an old volume consisting mainly of his 
writings, belonging to Mr. Turner. The 
publication is headed by a notice of the 
printer: Published for the Author, New 
York, 1797. 

“ I suppose there is no room to doubt its 
genuineness. It was published in New York 
City about twelve years before Mr. Paine 
died, and the last four or five years of his 
life were spent in and around New York. 
The works that men do, live after them. 
What a harvest of corruption has grown 
out of the infidel writings of Tom Paine. 
Thousands will be poisoned by his “ Age of 
Reason ” who will never see or hear of his 


THOMAS PAINE. 


7 


recantation. It ought to be sown broad¬ 
cast, that the antidote may reach as far as 
the poison of infidelity has gone ” 

I concluded that I could render no greater 
service to mankind than to publish a copy 
of Paine’s recantation, and thus give it a 
permanent form, and that I could also do no 
greater service to the patriotism of Tom 
Paine than to rescue his memory from in¬ 
famy, and his name from obloquy. A man 
can perform no more noble or honorable act 
than to repair a wrong which he has done, 
or do anything more creditable to his head 
and heart than to acknowledge and re¬ 
tract an error when he has committed one. 
Mr. Paine declared that he always thought 
it to be his duty to impartially weigh and 
attentively consider the various publications 
that appeared in the world in answer to his 
political and religious principles, and when 
convinced of his error, he had the courage to 
say: I most candidly avow, whatever of 


8 


THE RECANTATION OF 


odium and disgrace it may expose me to 
from those whose minds are not open to con¬ 
viction and will not acknowledge their error, 
merely because of having long persisted 
in it . . . that I am now fully convinced, 
upon clear and rational principles, of my 
mistaken zeal in vainly attempting to sap the 
foundations of the Chiistian hope, and en¬ 
deavoring to promote the cause of infidelity, 
and I do hereby publicly, candidly and 
solemnly retract and regret my infatuated 
presumption in engaging to attempt the de¬ 
struction of that divine structure which is 
built upon the Rock of Ages, and which 
will assuredly flourish after my name, and 
that of all its opposers for upwards of 
seventeen hundred years, are buried in ob¬ 
livion.” 

These honest, manly sentiments lift Ihe 
name of Thomas Paine from the number of 
the low and vulgar scoffers at religion, and 
place it alongside of those who love and 


THOMAS PAINE. 


revere the Bible. But Mr. Paine does not 
stop here. He says further: 

“Man is a religious creature, and is 
drawn to his Creator by all the principles 
of his constitution; by the sense of his im¬ 
becility, by conscience, by gratitude and ad¬ 
miration, and by his reason when duly 
improved. The grand requisite, then, is to 
procure for him a religion pure, simple, 
beneficent and consolatory. This will be 
found only in the religion of Jesus Christ, 
as it is exhibited in the sacred writings. 
Here a most perfect standard of duty is 
erected. In order to encourage man to an 
endless progress in virtue, a sufficient 
remedy is provided for his deviations from 
it when accompanied with penitence. The 
most glorious rewards are offered to his per¬ 
severing endeavors, and the strongest succors 
are provided for his weakness. Such a re¬ 
ligion powerfully strengthens every social 
and civil obligation, and prepares men for 


10 


THE RECANTATION OF 


heaven, by rendering them holy, virtuous 
and useful upon the earth.” 

To understand these references to Pitt 
and Robespierre, and the allusion in the 
fourth paragraph to the iron rod of perse¬ 
cution that had driven him from his native 
land, it must be remembered that Paine 
was born in Thetford County, of Norfolk, 
England, Jan. 29, 1737 ; that he emigrated 
to America Oct. 1, 1774. He was in full¬ 
est sympathy with the colonies in their 
struggle for independence, and in the dark¬ 
est hours of discouragement, when the stout¬ 
est hearts failed, Paine published the first 
number of his Crisis,” which began with 
that memorable sentence so often quoted: 
“These are the times that try men’s souls.” 
This appeal aroused the drooping ardor of 
the people, and the firstfruits of the reani¬ 
mated enthusiasm was the battle of Trenton, 
six days after. After the Revolution, Paine 
went to France. March, 1791, the first parts 


THOxMAS PAINE. 


11 


of bis Rights of Man,” dedicated to Wash¬ 
ington, appeared. The second part, dedi¬ 
cated to Lafayette, was published in Febru¬ 
ary, 1792. In 1792, he gave the Revolu¬ 
tionary Society in England an order on 
Jordan, his publisher, for £1,000, to be ap¬ 
plied ill furtherance of their objects. In 
September, 1792, a deputation from France 
announced to Paine his election to the 
French National Convention. He immedi¬ 
ately left England to take his seat, meeting 
with a triumphant reception in Paris. The 
following December his trial for sedition 
took place in London, and not appearing to 
receive his sentence, he was outlawed, Pitt 
presiding. In December, 1793, the conven¬ 
tion in Paris passed a decree, presented by 
Robespierre, for the expulsion of all mem¬ 
bers who were foreigners by birth. This was 
soon followed by another for the imprison¬ 
ment of all persons in France born in Eng¬ 
land. Under this decree, Paine was arrested 


12 


THE RECANTATION OF 


and thrown into the Luxembourg. On his 
way to prison he placed the MSS. of his 
Age of Reason ” in the hands of his friend, 
Joel Barlow, the American poet. His con¬ 
finement lasted from January to November, 

1794. When he was first arrested the 
Americans in Paris went in a body to apply 
for the release of the apostle of liberty in 
America, as they styled him, but they were 
unsuccessful. A few months after the death 
of Robespierre, James Monroe, the Ameri¬ 
can Minister in France, procured his libera¬ 
tion, and tendered him a home in his own 
family, which Paine enjojed for about 
eighteen months. In December, 1794, he 
resumed his seat in the national convention 
upon the invitation of its members. In 

1795, the second part of his “Age of 
Reason” appeared. This work is denounced 
as atheistical, but it expressly inculcates a 
belief in God. In his “ Age of Reason ” he 
says: “ I believe in one God and no more, 


THOMAS PAINE. 


13 


and I hope for happiness beyond this life. 
1 believe in the equality of man, and I be¬ 
lieve that religious duties consist in doing 
justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to 
make our fellow creatures happy.” In 1802, 
Paine returned to the United States. He 
arrived at Baltimore, after an absence of 
fifteen years, on Oct. 30, 1802. Thomas 
Jefferson invited him to Monticello, where 
he lelt a favorable impression. He was cor¬ 
dially received at Washington, but was 
grossly insulted by the Federalists as he 
was passing through Trenton. His ad¬ 
mirers in Philadelphia and New York hon¬ 
ored him with public dinners. He finally 
settled in New York, where he died June 8, 
1809. 

I doubt if Thomas Paine was ever the 
blasphemer that he is sometimes represented 
to have been, and for this reason: in his 
“Age of Reason,” Paine says of Jesus 
Christ, “ He was a virtuous and amiable 


14 


THE RECANTATION OF 


man,” and in his last will, Jan. 18, 1809, 
the same year of his death, he says : I 
have lived an honest and useful life to 
mankind. My time has been spent in doing 
good, and I die in perfect composure and 
resignation to the will of my Creator, 
God.” 

The following letter from Z. F. Smith, of 
Louisville, was written in answer to my 
request for a brief statement of the facts 
concerning the copy of Tom Paine’s re¬ 
cantation of his “ Age of Reason,” which 
he furnished to the Apostolic Times and 
Courier-Journal for publication in 1878 : 

Louisville, Ky., Apr. 15, 1895. 
Prof. AV. S. Giltner : 

Dear Sir —Complying with your request 
for a brief statement of the facts in connec¬ 
tion with my having furnished for publica¬ 
tion, some years ago, a copy of Thomas 
Paine’s recantation of his infidel utterances, 


THOMAS PAINE. 


15 


and of his attack upon the Christian religion, 
I have this to say: 

Early in 1878, both of us having resided 
for many years in Eminence, Prof. B. W. 
Turner brought to my notice what he re¬ 
garded as a remarkable relic of the past cen¬ 
tury—a published recantation of his infidel 
utterances by Thomas Paine. This brochure 
was sandwiched within and stitched together 
with several of Paine’s famous writings, and 
one or two other essays from other authors 
on related subjects, all making an unbound 
volume of pamphlets containing together 
over 300 pages, as I remember. The print 
was of the quaint style of a century past, 
and so was the paper yellowed with age. 
The volume of collections bore every mark 
of having been carefully preserved and put 
together by some contemporary of Paine as 
an author. Professor Turner told me at the 
time of his ancestral relationship to James 
Monroe, once President of the United States, 


16 


THE RECANTATION OF 


and gave plausible reasons why he believed 
that antique volume had come down to him 
direct from that distinguished statesman, 
and that the several monographs were most 
probably collected at the time of publication, 
and thus filed together for preservation by 
his own hand. 

A careful reading of the address contain¬ 
ing the recantation, made the impression 
upon my mind that it bore the internal 
marks of a genuine production of Paine’s 
pen. Behind the faulty grammar and awdi- 
ward phraseology which sometimes charac¬ 
terized his writings, there was apparent the 
rare quality of intuition which made him so 
remarkable as a controversialist. It would 
be difficult, if not impossible, for another to 
imitate his style; then there are allusions 
to American politics and sociology in this 
address which would never have occurred or 
been used, had the putative author been a 
Frenchman. Again, there are allusions to 


THOMAS PAINE. 


17 


French politics and sociology which would 
not have occurred had the supposed author 
been an American. It is incredible that a 
citizen of any other country would have 
written such an address at such a time. 
The impression from internal evidences that 
the authorship was Paine’s was not removed 
or impaired by the facts and incidents which 
associate his life with this turbulent period 
of history; still, all this did not satisfy that 
there might not be some conclusive evi¬ 
dences of other authorship. I therefore 
submitted the document, just as furnished 
me by Professor Turner, to several widely 
read and scholarly gentlemen of reputation, 
for their opinion. Among these was Dr. 
Theodore S. Bell, of Louisville, Ky., than 
whom no citizen among us was better in¬ 
formed. After careful reading and examina¬ 
tion of authorities, he gave it as his decided 
opinion that the production was from Paine’s 
pen. I ventured, then, in April, 1878, to 


18 


T[IE RECANTATION OF 


publish it ill the columns of the Courier- 
Journal (the recantation address), and ac¬ 
companied it with a collation of some facts 
of history, and of Tom Paine’s life connected 
with the period of publication. I did this, 
feeling sure that if the production was not 
from the pen of Paine, some one well in¬ 
formed upon his life and writings would 
come forward and inform the public as to 
the real authorship or origin of the docu¬ 
ment. It was freely copied by the press 
throughout the United States, and variously 
commented upon, while numerous letters of 
inquiry were received from persons inter¬ 
ested far and near; flippant and shallow 
witticisms by some, with scoffs and sneers 
of skeptical ignorance by others, followed 
as a matter of course. Of the several at¬ 
tempts at serious criticism upon the publi¬ 
cation which came to my knowledge, not 
one of them amounted to an argument of 
sufficient potency to even impair the jprima 


THOMAS PAINE. 


19 


facie evidence of the undisputed facts of 
the published recantation address itself. 
No one dared deny that it was printed in 
France and the United States twelve years 
before Paine’s death, and signed with his 
initials, claiming to be the product of his 
pen. These facts put the burden of proof 
absolutely upon the side of the negative. It 
was reasonably expected, therefore, that 
the critics who called in question the au¬ 
thorship of Paine thus far established by 
every law of logic, would undertake to 
prove another authorship and origin; that 
Paine repudiated the authorship in his day, 
and otherwise to historically account for it 
as a counterfeit and spurious production. 
Not one of these attempted critics reached 
the pretense of a conclusive argument, for 
the invalidation of the prima facie facts of 
the printed recantation itself settles the 
question of its genuineness by every fair 
law of evidence. 


120 


THE EECANTATION OF 


One year later, in 1879, my business 
called me to New York for weeks. To 
gratify some correspondents from that city, 
I carried the volume containing the recan¬ 
tation with me for their inspection. I was 
given the exclusive use of the desk in the 
otlice of a gentleman with whom I had some 
transactions, but a short distance from my 
boarding-house up-town. I last loaned the 
book to a minister for examination, who re¬ 
turned it to me in a few days. I placed it 
in a private drawer of my desk for safety. 
A day or two after, I opened the drawer to 
make further use of it and I found that it 
was missing. Though I made diligent search 
and inquiry, I was never able to get a trace 
of it again. I had learned of another copy 
of the published recantation in the library 
of the Historical Society of New York, with 
which I had carefully compared the copy in 
my possession, and I found the one to be 
the exact counterpart of the other. I was 


THOMAS PAINE. 


21 


told of the existence of a third copy, but 
was never able to locate it. I have given 
little attention to this matter since 1879. 
Recently when you wrote to me for a copy 
of the published address, having none in my 
possession, I searched the files of the 
Courier-Journal for 1878, in the hope of 
finding it there. 1 looked carefully through 
the files for April of that year, but, to my 
disappointment, the copy that I was in 
search of was missing. Every day’s issue 
for the month was present but the one in 
which was published Paine’s recantation. 

1 enclose you a brief reply of mine to a 
St. Louis paper, which I clipped from the 
daily Courier-Journal of Apr. 22, 1878. 

Yours very respectfully, 

Z. F. Smith. 


22 


THE RECANTATION OF 


The following is the clipping referred to: 
THE RECANTATION OF PAINE AAD THE ST. LOUS REPUBLICAN. 

To the Editor of the Courier-Journal: 

The editor of the St. Louis Republican, 
after the manner of the modern Ingersoll 
school of scoffers, undertakes to sneer out 
of countenance the recently published re¬ 
cantation of Paine, instead of investigating 
the evidences of its genuineness. 

Without a wish to go into any controversy 
over the question or its authenticity beyond 
this, it is a fact easily known to any one who 
will look into an encyclopaedia or his biog¬ 
raphy, that Paine lived in France from 1793 
to 1802, but does that prove that this recan¬ 
tation was not published in New York in 
1797 ? I examined this same book, and 
alongside of this recantation I find Paine’s 
Agrarian Justice,” which in his preface he 
says he wrote in 1795 and 1796, and yet it 
was printed by or for Bache, of Philadelphia, 


THOMAS PAINE. 


23 


in 1797. Again, I find his letter to Wash¬ 
ington, accusing him of injustice and inca¬ 
pacity, etc., for certain reasons, published 
by this same Bache, in 1787. Paine was 
in France when he wrote these pamphlets, 
and they were printed in the United 
States. Why was it impossible he should 
have written this recantation in France, 
and had it also published about the same 
time in the United States? The word ‘^an¬ 
ticipated” on the title-page should have en¬ 
abled Mr. Smith to “smell a rat” is the 
conclusion in the eloquent rhetoric of the 
editor of the Repuhh'can. If Paine for¬ 
warded a MSS. copy to his printer in New 
York before publishing in France, as is not 
unreasonable, it would have been natural to 
have put on the title-page “ x4nticipated Ad¬ 
dress.” “ This recantation is a weak inven¬ 
tion of the enemy,” says the editor. If the 
enemy wished to practice such a fraud on 
the people in New York, why did they pnt 


24 


THE RECANTATION OF 


on the title-page ^‘Anticipated Address”? 
Would not this have been suspicious ? 
Would it not have been better calculated to 
deceive if they had entitled it “ Paine’s Ad¬ 
dress ”? But who else than an infidel would 
be credulous enough to believe that the 
enemy of Paine would, twelve years before 
his death, and in so public a manner as to 
be soon exposed to the world’s contempt by 
Paine himself, so counterfeit his authorship 
and try to.palm off a spurious production on 
an intelligent public ? Would any man in 
Missouri or England, to-day, dare write and 
publish a recantation of Ingersoll in the ex¬ 
pectation of palming off such a fraud upon 
the public ? The idea is too absurd to dis¬ 
cuss. 

There is this fact worthy of mention. 
Professor Turner’s ancestry were nearly con¬ 
nected by marriage with President Monroe. 
Mv. Monroe was Minister to France from 
1794 to 1796, and was instrumental in free- 


THOMAS PAINE. 


25 


ing Paine from prison soon after reaching 
Paris. Paine then resided in Monroe’s 
family for eighteen months. From this in¬ 
timacy it is probable that all the writings of 
Paine would be in the possession of Monroe, 
and that this book may have fallen thus into 
the hands of Professor Turner’s ancestry. 
The publication of this recantation two years 
after his “ Age of Reason,” under the con¬ 
vincing replies of Watson and others, would 
naturally cause the deepest disappointment 
and chagrin to Paine’s infidel companions 
and disciples, and they would probably use 
every effort to stay the publication, and to 
suppress the copies in print. This may ac¬ 
count for no other copy of the pamphlet be¬ 
ing found in print, and for the fact that the 
story of Paine’s recantation passed from the 
testimony of history into the questionable 
mists of tradition. The work was submitted 
for the examination of Dr. Theodore S. Bell, 
of Louisville, Ky., than whom we have no 


26 


THE RECANTATION OF 


better authority in the West, and he pro¬ 
nounced the recantation to be undoubtedly 
of the authorship of Paine. From the style 
of the criticism of the editor of the £t. Louis 
Republicany I take him to be an infidel of 
the modern type. If he is interested in 
ascertaining the truth of history, and is as 
honest and candid in searching for it as his 
brilliant master, Thomas Paine, he will ask 
for an examination of the work on its merits 
by a competent tribunal and abide by the 
result. He can not prove anything by slurs 
and sneers. The Reptihlican wull please 
copy this and announce that the book is in 
Professor Turner’s hands, and subject to ex¬ 
amination by any proper person or authori¬ 
ties. Z. F. Smith. 

Eminence, Ky., Apr. 16, 1878. 

N. B.—I also publish Pres. B. F. Turner’s 
certificate as to the correctness of the copy 
of Paine’s recantation. s. 


THOMAS PAINE. 


27 


Sulphur, Ky., March 9, 1895. 

This is to certify that I have just ex¬ 
amined a copy of Paine’s recantation of his 
“Age of Reason,” submitted to me by W. S. 
Giltner, president of Eminence College. I 
believe the same to be an exact copy of the 
recantation found in an old volume which, 
at the time of its disajipearance, had been 
in my possession over thirty years, and 
which descended to me from my maternal 
grandfather. This old volume contained 
many writings of Thomas Paine, notably his 
“ Rights of Man; ” “ Agrarian Justice,” and 
“Agrarian Monopoly;” “Criticisms upon 
General Washington’s Manner of Conduct¬ 
ing the War of the Revolution ; ” “ A Letter 
to Mr. Washington,” as Paine called the 
General; Bishop Watson’s reply to the “Age 
of Reason,” and also Paine’s complete re¬ 
cantation. 

It has always been regarded as a fact by 
the members of our family that after the 


28 


THE EECANTATION OF 


death of President Monroe, his library was 
divided among his near relatives, and that 
this book, with many others, came into my 
grandfather’s possession in this way. It is 
known that President Monroe, when Paine 
was arrested in France, secured his release, 
and that he was the guest of Monroe for 
more than a year. It was never doubted by 
any member of our family that Paine made 
this recantation, and we did not know that 
it was doubted by anybody until on one oc¬ 
casion, at the Moody House in Eminence, 
some gentlemen were in conversation and 
one of them made the remark, Paine never 
recanted.” Not being acquainted with the 
gentleman, I made no reply, but went home 
and brought forth the old book and allowed 
every one, who wished, to read it. Many 
persons took advantage of this opportunity, 
and all who examined believed the recanta¬ 
tion to be genuine. I loaned the book to 
President Giltner, of Eminence College, and 


THOMAS PAINE. 


29 


it was ill his possession several weeks. In 
the year 1878, I loaned the book to Mr. Z. 
F. Smith, and at the same time I was ne¬ 
gotiating with Dr. Holland, of Scribner’s 
3Io7ithly, for the publication of the recanta¬ 
tion ; but, in the meantime, Mr. Smith sent 
a copy to the Courier-Journal, and it was 
published in that paper and the Apostolic 
Times in Lexington, and copied by many 
other secular and religious journals. This, 
of course, broke off the negotiations with 
Dr. Holland. Mr. Smith never returned 
the book to me, and reported that it had 
been stolen from his office in that city. 

Respectfully, 

[Signed] B. F. Turner, 

Pres, Fairmount College, 

Subscribed and sworn to before me, a 
justice of the peace of Henry County, Ky., 
by Pres. B. F. Turner, to be a true state- 


30 


THE RECANTATION OF 


ment of the facts to the best of his knowl¬ 
edge and belief, this March 11, 1895. 

W. A. Browning, 

Justice of the Peace in and for Henry 
County, 

Having submitted this copy of Paine’s 
Recantation to the Hon. Z. F. Smith and 
President B. F. Turner for verification, as 
exhibited by Smith’s letter and Turner’s affi¬ 
davit, 1 now give it to the public with the 
confident assurance that all fair-minded 
men will read it with candor, and consider 
well the internal and external evidences in 
favor of its genuineness and authenticity. 
The friends of Paine will rejoice to know that 
he made an effort to repair the wrong done 
by his “inconsiderate” attack upon the Bible, 
by this Recantation and Valedictory Address 
of Thomas Paine to the French Directory. 

All we ask of the reading public is an 
attentive perusal of the document. 

W. S. Giltner, 


RECANTATION. 





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THE RECANTATION, 

Being an Anticipated Valedictory Address. 

Enlightened and 'patriotic rulers of the 
French Republic : 

I have, with the greatest admiration, be¬ 
held your laudable and successful efforts for 
these several years past, in attempting to 
promote and perpetuate the interests of your 
constituents; and I do most heartily con¬ 
gratulate you on the great and magnanimous 
plans which you have formed and executed, 
in conjunction with your brave and patriotic 
fellow citizens; plans which appeared to the 
astonished and admiring world beyond the 
power of man to accomplish. 

You have detected and regulated many 
abuses in the political and ecclesiastical 
economy of your long oppressed country. 





34 


THE RECANTATION OF 


As I am now addressing philosophers and, I 
hope, men of candor and forbearance, I shall 
therefore deliver my sentiments freely, be¬ 
ing happily secure from the invidious power 
of Pitt or Ilobespierre. 

With due deference, I therefore beg leave 
to announce that in my opinion, you and I, 
also, in our enthusiasm to establish the 
rights of man, have gone to a great excess. 
For such is the intemperance of the human 
passions, even those of the most laudable 
kind, when strongly excited, that the ardor 
of patriotism, and indignation at past op¬ 
pressions, frequently impel even good men 
to pursue a conduct perhaps quite repug¬ 
nant to the principles of equity and bene¬ 
ficence which they arc desirous to es¬ 
tablish. 

In our first paroxysms of ardor for liberty, 
we have perhaps not duly considered that 
the Divine Ruler of the universe may take 
vengeance on nations, or individuals, who 


THOMAS PAINE. 


35 


presumptuously attempt to infringe on his 
appointments. 

Being now about to leave this hospitable 
land of liberty, a national quality, wherein 
I have received a most honorable and cordial 
reception, after the iron rod of persecution 
had driven me from my native land; permit 
me, previous to my departure, to communi¬ 
cate to you some serious and important ideas 
which have lately engaged my attention; 
and however strange and inconsistent they 
may appear to you, they have struck ni}'” 
mind with awful conviction. 

Having for some time past experienced 
great compunction of mind, by reflecting on 
my late presumptuous and inconsiderate at¬ 
tack on the Christian religion: I say incon¬ 
siderate, because I did not at that time 
sufliciently consider the arguments in vin¬ 
dication of its divine origin, which abound 
in the works of many of its able and dis- 
tinguished defenders; especially those ad- 


36 


THE RECANTATION OF 


vanced by the celebrated Mr. Locke, in his 
excellent “Essay on Faith and Reason”; 
and the masterly and conclusive arguments 
in its favor, drawn from a consideration of 
its internal evidences, by the ingenious 
Soame Jennings, a man who, like myself, at 
one time discarded every idea of revealed 
religion. And as I have ever wished to 
support the character of a man of candor, I 
have always thought it my duty attentively 
to weigh and impartially to consider the 
various publications that have appeared in 
the world, as answers either to my political 
or religious principles; hence, I have been 
led to peruse the late answer to my “ Age 
of Reason,” written by the learned Dr. 
Watson. I believe it is a fact well known 
that I have never been much attached to 
the priesthood, but however, in considering 
his work, I endeavored to lose sight of the 
local profession of the man, and apply my¬ 
self to a close and impartial investigation of 


THOMAS PAINE. 


37 


his arguments; he is certainly a man that 
does honor to his profession. In his “Apol¬ 
ogy for the Bible,” he makes a full display 
of those peculiar talents which he so emi¬ 
nently possesses for vindicating the cause 
he has espoused. In him, the learned and 
ingenious Gibbon found an opponent whom 
he dared not attempt to oppose; and I most 
candidly avow, whatever odium and dis¬ 
grace it may expose me to, from those men 
whose minds are not open to conviction, 
and will not acknowledge their error, merely 
because of having long persisted in it, that 
in this book I found all my objections an¬ 
swered, and all the imaginary difficulties 
which lay in the way of my receiving Chris¬ 
tianity fully removed. I have therefore 
been led to re-peruse the Scriptures, in a 
much more unprejudiced and attentive man¬ 
ner than I ever did. The result of which 
is, that I am now fully convinced, upon 
clear and rational principles, of my mistaken 


38 


THE RECANTATION OF 


zeal in vainly attempting to eap the founda¬ 
tion of the Christian’s hope, and endeavor¬ 
ing to promote the cause of infidelity; and 
1 do hereby publicly, candidly and solemnly 
retract, and regret iny infatuated presump¬ 
tion in engaging to attempt the destruction 
of that divine structure which is built jupon 
the Rock of Ages; and which will assuredly 
flourish after my name, and that of all its 
opposers, for upwards of seventeen hundred 
years, are buried in oblivion. Whatever 
my former prejudices against religion may 
have been, they are now all vanished; and 
I firmly believe that God hath been 
graciously pleased, at sundry times, to make 
known his will to men, as an aid to the 
great but fallible gift of reason. And I do 
most sincerely lament my temerity in having 
given so much offense to the pious and well- 
disposed part of the community, both in 
Europe and America. 


THOMAS PAINE. 


30 

Permit me now, with the utmost defer¬ 
ence, to recommend to your serious con¬ 
sideration, the necessity and propriety of 
reforming that part of your (otherwise ex¬ 
cellent) constitution which relates to the 
ancient Sabbath; the innovation on which 
nothing could justify but the urgent neces¬ 
sity and laudable motives which impelled 
you to commit it; namely, your ardent zeal 
to establish the sacred rights of man, on the 
firm basis of law and just equity—which 
desirable object appeared to you, and to me 
likewise, utterly impracticable to attain 
without first removiug or rejecting estab¬ 
lished customs; and thereby removing the 
prejudices of the public in favor of kings, 
nobles and priests, who had too long exer¬ 
cised an undue influence over the minds of 
the well-meaning but too credulous and un¬ 
thinking multitude. But as the original 
object is now happily secured, might not 


40 


THE RECANTATION OF 


this desperate auxiliary toward obtaining it 
be now wisely relinquished ? 

However contracted and obstinate minds 
may think fit to persevere in erroneous prin¬ 
ciples once avowed, rather than retract and 
acknowledge their error, may you, as becom¬ 
ing the august rulers of a great nation, set 
a noble example of candor and magnanimity 
to the world by publicly retracting your 
edicts, relative to the holy Sabbath. This 
will insure you the confidence, the affection 
and the esteem of the pious and virtuous 
part of mankind; and especially that of 
your real friends and allies, the American 
and Batavian Republics. 

I admire your laudable and patriotic en¬ 
deavors to perfect and reform your plans of 
education on judicious and liberal principles, 
but must beg leave to remark that, in my 
mind, you adhere too much to ancient prec¬ 
edents ; by imitating principles of education 
in use among the Romans and Macedonians 


THOMAS PAINE. 


41 


many centuries ago—which are not well cal¬ 
culated for the present state of society. 
Thus the judicious and patriotic founders of 
the Federal Constitution of the American 
Republic erred, perhaps, in copying too 
much of the English Constitution; though 
tJie best precedent at that time extant, if 
duly administered. 

Though I am not much in the habit of 
copying from other men’s works in my com¬ 
positions, yet the following sentiments lately 
delivered on a public occasion, by a citizen 
of the Batavian Republic, appear so very 
judicious and well founded that I have con¬ 
cluded to insert them here, as worthy of 
your most serious consideration : “ Whoever 
attempts to erect any system of policy to the 
exclusion of religion, betrays great ignorance 
of human nature, and great indifference 
for human happiness. Man is a religious 
creature, and is drawn to his Creator by all 
the principles of his constitution—by the 


42 


THE RECANTATION OF 


sense of his imbecility, by conscience, by 
gratitude and admiration, and by bis reason, 
when duly improved. The grand requisite, 
then, is to procure for him a religion pure, 
simple, beneficent and consolatory. This 
will be found only in the religion of Jesus 
Christ as it is exhibited in tlie sacred writ¬ 
ings. Here the most perfect standard of 
duty is erected; in order to encourage man 
to an endless progress in virtue, a sufficient 
remedy is provided for bis deviations from 
it when accompanied with penitence; the 
most glorious rewards are offered to bis 
persevering endeavors; and the strongest 
succors are provided for bis weakness. Such 
a religion powerfully strengthens every so¬ 
cial and civil obligation, and prepares men 
for heaven, by rendering them holy, virtu¬ 
ous and useful on earth.” 

See, gentlemen, if the grand system of 
Christian morals can not be made more 
plain, easy and engaging to the young and 


THOMAS PAINE. 


43 


rising generation, who have now a brighter 
prospect of obtaining a much better educa¬ 
tion, in religion and morality, than the youth 
of France ever enjoyed when Church and 
State policy united to retard the promulga¬ 
tion of the gospel. 

Let the holy Scriptures, those immortal 
and divine volumes, given by God to man, 
to promote his j^resent comfort and future 
felicity, be published in your native language, 
and disseminated throughout the Republic. 

These sacred volumes are the fittest books 
in the world for republicans, as the divine 
and excellent precepts contained in them, if 
duly attended to, will influence their minds 
to discharge all the public, private and rela¬ 
tive duties of life conscientiously; and also 
impress their minds with sentiments of ven¬ 
eration, love and gratitude toward the benef¬ 
icent Creator and Saviour of the universe. 

Search out men of piety, virtue and abili¬ 
ties who will faithfully inculcate on the 


44 


THE EECANTATION OP 


minds of youth the principles of religion, 
science and virtue. Let no one worthy 
tutor be left to languish away his life in 
poverty and obscurity, which is too com¬ 
monly the case in other countries. Draw 
forth to public notice, and encourage men 
of talents and probity, who shall lead your 
youth to solid greatness, to honor, to useful¬ 
ness and to happiness. If you go on thus, 
to encourage science and virtue in all your 
colleges and seminaries, you may then hope 
to see the fruits of your labor prosper. And 
the late revolution in France may be at¬ 
tended with the most happy consequences 
to mankind. The French nation, thus en¬ 
lightened, will learn to prefer peace and in¬ 
ternal prosperity to the vain and delusive 
honor of invading and conquering their 
neighbors. They will no longer be the pas¬ 
sive tools of ambitious conquerors; they 
will shudder at the detestable idea of 
bloodshed and devastation, the certain 

LofC. 


THOMAS PAINE. 


45 


concomitants of ambitious or avaricious 
conquests. 

Let your enemies, and all the world, see 
that you heartily desire to re-establish the 
tranquility of Europe; and as you were not 
the first to disturb the public peace (your 
ambitious and overbearing neighbors not 
permitting you to settle your internal affairs, 
by attempting to impose a mode of govern¬ 
ment upon you contrary to your inclina¬ 
tions), so you are willing to embrace the 
earliest opportunity of terminating the hor¬ 
rors of war, by doing everything in your 
power to accelerate a fair, honorable and 
permanent peace. Thus you will induce the 
brave sons of Britain, and all the nations of 
Europe (Kings and Co. perhaps excepted), 
to imitate, admire and love the brave and 
virtuous Republicans of Gallia. Let your 
future conduct convince the Governments 
of Europe that you are not dangerous to 
your neighbors, but that you are equally 




46 


THE RECANTATION OF 


capable of maintaiiiiiig the placid relations 
of amity and peace, as well as wielding the 
destructive weapons of war. 

Your gallant armies have already suffi¬ 
ciently retaliated the unprovoked insults of 
your haughty and sanguinary foes ; let them 
be henceforth employed only in protecting 
innocence, restraining oppression (perhaps 
oppressed and unhappy Poland may par¬ 
ticularly excite your patriotic sympathy), 
and maintaining inviolate the sacred rights 
of man. May they never be instrumental 
in subverting the principles of government 
or religion in any country. 

To conclude, may the rulers of the French, 
American and Batavian Republics, from the 
highest to the lowest rank, ever be merito¬ 
rious men of exemplary lives—lovers of 
truth, political, moral and divine. May all 
their political and commercial relations be 
founded on truth, equity and liberality. And 
may the private citizens of those republics 


THOMAS PAINE. 


47 


be pious, useful and honest men—which 
alone can give solid dignity and consequence 
to human nature, and render them accept¬ 
able to their beneficent Creator. This alone 
can constitute the real majesty of the people, 
a thing more talked of than properly under¬ 
stood. That the present unhappy differences 
and misapprehensions, existing between 
France and America, may be shortly com¬ 
promised on amicable and honorable terms 
to both countries, and that these two sister 
republics may long prosper and vie with 
each other in acts of mutual friendship, 
beneficence and philanthropy, is the hearty 
desire of their sincere friend and advocate. 


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